Summary
- A breakout performance in "Hit Man" has elevated Adria Arjona's career, redeeming previous critical disappointments and establishing her star credentials.
- Arjona's role as Madison Figueroa Masters in "Hit Man" is praised as a highlight, contrasting with her previous Netflix movies that were criticial failures.
- With a 97% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, "Hit Man" showcases Arjona's ability to enhance a compelling plot, marking her path to becoming a major star.
Adria Arjona's role in Richard Linklater's Netflix movie Hit Man is a breakout performance for the 32-year-old Puerto Rican – simultaneously establishing her star credentials and redeeming two previous critical disappointments. Alongside Glen Powell's charismatic protagonist, Arjona is central to the movie's success. Although Hit Man's true story narrative gives it a propulsive and compelling plot, it is largely thanks to the performances of its cast that the film has enjoyed critical acclaim.
At the time of writing, Hit Man enjoys an impressive 97% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While most critics have struggled to find fault, many have identified Arjona's performance as Madison Figueroa Masters as a particular highlight. For Arjona personally, this recognition is a welcome and richly deserved development given the mixed reception to many of her previous movies, such as Morbius and Pacific Rim: Uprising. However, it is in looking at the performance of Arjona's two previous Netflix projects that Hit Man's rating becomes particularly impressive.
Adria Arjona's Two Previous Netflix Movies Didn't Work
Arjona Appeared In 6 Underground & Sweet Girl For The Streamer
Despite Hit Man providing ample evidence that Arjona has all the elements to become a major star, her two previous Netflix movies were not the most auspicious start to her career. Before Hit Man, Arjona appeared in Michael Bay's 6 Underground and the Jason Momoa vehicle Sweet Girl – both in supporting roles. While her involvement in these two previous Netflix projects was nowhere near as extensive as it was for Hit Man, both 6 Underground and Sweet Girl were such critical failures that they could have easily derailed Arjona's career before it got started
Movie | Rotten Tomatoes Rating | Adria Arjona Role |
|---|---|---|
6 Underground | 36% | Amelia/Five |
Sweet Girl | 24% | Amanda Cooper |
Hit Man | 97% | Madison Figueroa Masters |
6 Underground's Rotten Tomatoes score of 36%, combined with Sweet Girl's 24% rating, meant that both Arjona's previous Netflix movies were clear critical failures. Sweet Girl was criticized for a derivative story and a poorly executed plot twist, while 6 Underground was described as "loud, frenetic and finally preposterous" according to the Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus. Ultimately, neither of these assessments put the reason for failure at Arjona's door. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that prior to Hit Man, her Netflix track record was decidedly disappointing.
Related
Hit Man Ending Explained
By the time of Hit Man’s climactic ending, the story undergoes several twists and turns, some based on the film’s true story and some fictional.
Hit Man Gives Adria Arjona A Great Netflix Movie - And She's One Of The Best Parts
The Movie Wouldn't Work Without Her
The contrast between 6 Underground and Sweet Girl's Rotten Tomatoes scores against Hit Man couldn't be more clear. At 97% on the review aggregator, the Richard Linklater movie is not just Arjona's highest-rated Netflix project, but also the highest-rated movie on any platform of her career to date. In some cases, comparing top-performing movies in this way is an ineffective way of understanding the ebbs and flows of an actor's career – particularly if their involvement is limited. However, because of her prominent role in Hit Man, the acclaimed action comedy is a useful marker of her progression.
Although Maddy Masters could be viewed as a villainous presence, due to her plan to kill her husband, Arjona makes her incredibly sympathetic – no mean feat considering her plan.
Not only does Hit Man succeed because of its hilarious and thrilling script, great storytelling, and compelling lead performance from Glen Powell, but the movie owes an enormous debt to Arjona's supporting role. Although Maddy Masters could be viewed as a villainous presence, due to her plan to kill her husband, Arjona makes her incredibly sympathetic – no mean feat considering her plan. It's a testament to Arjona's skill that a role that could easily become two-dimensional is actually incredibly nuanced and subtle. As a result, Hit Man is undoubtedly a better showcase for Arjona than her previous Netflix projects.
Related
Netflix’s Hit Man has a smaller cast than one might think, though each actor performs fantastically alongside the lead of the film, Glen Powell.
Adria Arjona Is Destined To Become A Much Bigger Star
Hit Man Can Be The Perfect Launchpad
Given that Arjona has been cast in several high-profile movies in recent years, it's been obvious for some time that her career is on the up. Despite their lack of success, 6 Underground, Morbius, and Sweet Girl are all prominent releases. Arjona's continual involvement in these kinds of projects highlights how directors and producers across the board have identified her as a star of the future.
Even though some of her film appearances have been a mixed bag critically, Arjona has also had some notable successes. Her role in Andor, for example, made her potential obvious, even if films seemed to be wasting her on substandard material. Both Andor and Hit Man demonstrate that, when the rest of the project is successful, Arjona has the ability to enhance the drama – a prerequisite for any potential movie star. Now that Hit Man has given her a prominent critical hit, it seems Arjona is now set to take her career to the next level.
Hit Man
R
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
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- Director
- Richard Linklater
- Release Date
- September 5, 2023
- Cast
- Glen Powell , Adria Arjona , Austin Amelio , Retta , Molly Bernard
- Runtime
- 113 Minutes
